Daisy Chain (Book I)
by Space.Picolli
Summary: We each find ourselves in a situation where we're at the mercy of fate, being thrust time after time into a chain of unlikely events. Reina, a larger than life mage from Ferelden, one day finds herself at the beginning of a chain just like this, which will shape and redefine her in more ways than one as she meets two Grey wardens on a mission to end the Blight and save Ferelden.


"I am Reina Hadwin, an apprentice of the Tower of the Circle of Magi in Ferelden.

My life – according to personal views – has been the definition of failure.

I failed and was last in line as the maker was giving us out to our parents and got a bottom-of-the-barrel kind of mother. I failed to keep my abilities unknown to anyone but myself. I have countlessly failed in my studies and have, more or less, failed to keep myself from the scrutiny of Templars, though really it's more their fault for generalizing mages into one big ball they like to spit on… with good reason, I suppose.

And to top this all off is the fact that I'm what the first-enchanter calls "a student with outstanding potential", meaning I have failed to prove myself as such a thing as well—"

My hand had halted its movement involuntarily and hovered over the dirty page of a journal I had recently started to consider a diary. A drop of ink fell off the tip of the quill I held and splattered on the page, leaving a small black splotch. 'How fitting…' I thought, looking down at the stain that was now a fitting accessory to the page that was to be filled with my angst and misery. I sighed and closed my eyes out of frustration.

'This is stupid'

The only reason I started doing this, was because senior enchanter Wynne said it would be good for me. Said it would help me settle a few things in my mind and help forget my teenage problems, but the only thing it did was make me even more depressed. Daft woman, I figured since she was elderly that this would work, but yet again I failed to make good assumptions.

I gazed over to the candle that was situated near the corner of the table. The flickering flame was small, but produced enough light to illuminate the whole table... though it WAS a small table. It was almost alluring in some way even. I furrowed my brows and extended my hand towards the flame. It grew bigger and bigger as I got close, but suddenly it burst into hundreds of sparks that fell to the surface of the table. I instinctively jumped from my seat and stared in awe as the fallen sparks collectively formed a vivid shape of a thunder bolt.

"Woah" I exclaimed to myself out loud as I leaned in closer to the symbol. It flickered and hissed at me before evaporating completely, leaving no trace if itself on the wooden surface. For a while I stood there dumbfounded at this strange occurrence. Never in all of my training have I seen a flame burst into sparks like that and form a shape. I reached at possible explanations, but being the idiotic girl I was, I couldn't put my finger on what that meant. I thought to ask someone about this, maybe one of the enchanters, but before I could process the thought, the door to the quarters burst open and snapped me out of my thoughts, forcing me to spin around and face the figure that had entered.

My eyes were immediately caught by the vibrant red birds-nest of a hairdo the figure had and a smile that hid no ulterior motives… or so it seemed on the outside. Ko was the name this figure possessed and he and I go back farther than I would like to admit. That is a story best left for a different time however. I always thought his name a quite funny and made fun of him because of it for the longest time when we were little. He joked that his parents asked his sickly grandmother who was on her deathbed to give a name for the newborn, but before the old woman could finish she passed away and the first syllable of whatever name she thought of became the babe's name. It's a very unlikely story, but I like to think it's true.

"Reina, what are you up to in here? You haven't come out since morning" the male questioned as he moved next to me. "Though I suppose that's second nature for you by now" he laughed.

"You shut your mouth!" I shot back at Ko. "You know I don't like the way the others look at me"

"Are you sure you're not imagining it? I mean it's that kind of phase in your life and all" Ko said with a coy smile (He's a few years older than me, 20 to be exact, which I loathed with every fiber of my being). I answered him with a threatening glare, but he just chuckled in return as his eyes examined the room around us. His dark eyes fell to the table next to me and they narrowed just as they saw an intriguing item laid on top of it. The open journal adorned with a single drop of ink on the bottom.

"And what's this?" He asked curiously, reaching towards the open diary. I quickly realized the situation and rushed to grab the book before he did to save me a weeks-worth of humiliation, but Ko knew me all too well. He predicted my actions and reacted much faster, just barely managing to snatch the journal from my fingertips.

"Give that back, Ko! That's strict violation of my privacy!" I yelled trying to retrieve my journal from the tall male's hands, which was a fruitless endeavor to be honest… he played this card all too often, much to my dismay.

"Has someone started writing a diary?" Ko teased as he read the writing on the page. "How cute"

"Ko!" I yelled once more, feeling my face heat up from anger or at least what I convinced myself was anger. "You're being an ass!"

Suddenly the male looked at me with a satisfied smile spread on his face and returned the journal to me. I hugged it close to my body and frowned in Ko's direction.

"You know, you're being too hard on yourself" The redhead said as his expression turned much too serious for it to even be considered normal… for a guy like him, who can usually be found dozing off in the great hall. I raised one my eyebrows at his sudden statement. "I just think you're being a little too critical and blaming yourself for all the wrong things… I get that you've convinced yourself to believe that everything that happens is ultimately your fault, but you have to realize there are a lot of things in life that you can't control…" he spoke. I grimaced at Ko's attempted words of wisdom, but maybe they had some truth to them.

"Have you caught a cold or something? What's with this sudden compassion?"

It was true that much concern from Ko was strange, but maybe I was just not used to people showing any care for me.

He chuckled "You know I'm not always jokes and pranks, Rei. There's a human in me after all"

"That's even harder to believe" I spoke.

"You wound me, my lady!" Ko exclaimed all too dramatically "I show genuine concern for you and this is what I'm answered with! Life is indeed cruel, isn't it?"

"About time you realized that"

"Now you're just being depressing" the male stated, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he gave me a mocking grin.

"I'm just being realistic" I crossed my arms in return as well.

"Is that what you call it?" Ko laughed. I gave him an angry look, but it didn't do its purpose and the male only smiled in return. "Alright, alright I'll stop teasing… for the next ten minutes or so at least"

Ko's eyes suddenly fell to the unlit candle on the table.

"Were you writing with that unlit? Even that's a little too unnatural for you"

Oh right, the candle. I had almost forgotten the whole thing. I struggled to decide whether I should tell Ko the truth or just go with whatever I can think of. I knew I needed to ask someone about that, but I didn't think Ko was that someone. What if he lets that bit of information slip out and I get in trouble with the Templars or worse yet an Enchanter. Normally, just a little magic like that didn't get anyone in trouble, but I happened to be an exception, since I was to be monitored very closely by order of First enchanter Irvin. Shows what you get when you set an entire classroom on fire.

"I'll have you know I happen to see very well in the dark and lighting a candle when it's daylight outside seems such a waste" I shot back. Ko furrowed his brows, considering the lie I had made up. Ultimately he seemed to buy it.

"Right, well how about we go to the grand hall? I heard Raemus finally woke up after his harrowing last night, the lucky bastard"

"Yeah, alright then" I gave the male a brief answer as he left the cold messy room before me. I looked down at the small tattered journal in my hands and slipped it in the small bag attached to my belt before following after Ko into the damp hallways of Kinloch hold.

Being that young (17 to be exact) in the circle often leads to prejudice from those around you. Other mages and mentors thought I'm utterly useless and that I couldn't go anywhere in the tower without supervision. I agreed with them on that...

However, there were only two people that saw more in me, people who held great expectations for me: Irvin and Wynne. How and why they came to the conclusion I was destined for great things was beyond me and frankly I considered them daft for even daring to do so. I can't even trust myself to take care of a hamster, let alone use magic for the "greater good" as they call it. But if they wanted to entrust they're high hopes in me, then they could do so, knowing those hopes won't come to surface.

"How are you lately?" Ko's voice interrupted my train of thought as we walked along the everlasting hallway.

"Pardon?"

"Did I ask a strange question? You've been quite… standoffish lately, more so than usual and I was wondering if you were okay" he explained, his voice glazed with concern.

"I'm fine, Ko. You don't need to worry about things like that" I said, gazing at the polished stone flooring of the corridor as other apprentices passed by us without a care.

"You expect me to believe that? Reina, I know you like to hold all the negativity inside of yourself and it's seriously unhealthy! Even your complexion has changed lately" the male stated. My heart ached at his words as I pursed my lips. It was true that there has been a lot going on lately in my life that weighed on me heavily. I had recently started thinking about my mother and what a worthless daughter I've been to her, about how I've been damned by the maker to suffer a life imprisoned with my kind, about how anything I do just seems to fail. I've only told Wynne about my troubles and that's why she recommended starting a journal to write down everything that's on my mind, but I wasn't sure it was an efficient remedy.

"I said, you don't have to worry!" I repeated, feeling a little aggravated at Ko's persistence. My sudden outburst caught the attention of nearby apprentices in the hall. "Why do you even care? Everything's always a joke to you and now you go all mother hen on me!? How about you make up your mind? It's hard to take you seriously if you're like that dammit!"

Ko's expression matched that of the onlookers around us - shock and awe. I felt terrible for saying those things, but I couldn't control myself. I felt my restraint crumble under the sheer pressure of all that negativity and I ended up taking it all out on a dear friend. But before I realized this, I had already stormed out of the hallway and into the tower's library, leaving Ko alone in that tension-filled hallway.

I sat down at the table in the farthest side of the room and slid back in my chair in defeat. Words couldn't describe how bad I felt. I couldn't understand why I got so angry at Ko for just being concerned about my wellbeing. For the first time in a while Ko actually showed genuine care and I answered that with antagonism. What was wrong with me? How was I to face him after what I did?

A hefty breath escaped my lips as I tried to soothe the irritation that grew in the back of my head.

'This day can't get any worse…'

"You look troubled, young one" I heard a familiar raspy voice sound from nearby. I lazily looked up and saw an old but welcoming face of the big man of the tower himself. Irvin looked down at me, curiosity filling his eyes. He didn't ask it outright, but I knew his statement hid a question he obviously wanted answered. I said nothing for a moment, trying to determine my chances of persuading the elder mage into believing any tale I spin. However, the old man wasn't daft and would certainly catch onto any sort of misinformation… given I wasn't good at lying in the first place.

"I've just… had a bad day is all" I spoke as I scratched the surface of the wooden table with my fingernail. My answer was only half correct, but it was sufficient.

"Is that so? The day is still young, child. You should not make such conclusion just yet" Irvin instructed.

"I shouldn't, but I did. I don't have much hope in things getting better" I answered, looking down at my hands. I heard the first enchanter let out a hum as he seemed to ponder about something for a moment.

"I suppose that sort of attitude isn't unnatural for you however unhealthy it might be for a bright young student such as yourself" the old man stated. I cringed at the word "bright", feeling the irony make my insides curl up and claw at my nearly non-existent self-confidence. The first enchanter chuckled at my reaction. "I see your self-awareness is as present as ever" He joked.

"I'm sorry, first enchanter, but my mind's quite messy at the moment"

"What's weighing on you so heavily, young one?" The elder mage questioned.

I opened my mouth to speak, but halted once several thoughts entered my mind. I didn't fancy talking to the old man about my exchange with Ko as it would just stir me up a lot more. It would also be quite innapropriate to share my personal affairs with him. Then I thought back to what happened before our quarrel. The candlelight and the sparks. That was one of the factors that contributed to my own train of worries, even if it was not as major as the prior. I still very much wanted to get answers about that.

"There was something I actually wanted to ask you..." I started. "If you don't mind of course"

"If it means lifting just enough worries off of your mind then by all means. However, I do not promise I will be able to answer your question. I am not all-knowing after all" Irvin warned. He was indeed a very humble old man and I respected him for that, but sometimes I thought he didn't give himself enough credit... just like me. I hummed in acknowledgement and let out a sigh that carried some of the pent up frustration and hesitance inside me.

"I was in the sleeping quarters, writing a... report paper and..." I hesitated. Just how exactly was I to explain why I reached towards the candle in the first place? Using magic with no supervision was literally illegal and could get me and especially me into trouble. Irvin wasn't one to let these things go either, but I realized that if I wanted to get answers I need to tell him one way or another. This would get me at least two hours worth of lecturing from both Gregoir and Irvin, but I suppose I was used to it enough to be able to stand it. "I wanted to make the candlelight brighter... so I could see better, but when I reached towards it the flame errupted into sparks" I continued my tale.

"Sparks you say? Curious indeed..." The elder mage commented, scratching his fuzzy beard in wonder. I was glad he didn't bring up the usage of magic without supervision part, but that didn't mean he didn't pick up on in. "Tell me, did these sparks form any sort of distinct shape?"

My jaw almost dropped. I was quite shocked that Irvin asked that question as if he'd known what happened. Knowing him, that was probably the case. He always has a way of knowing everything that happens around here.

"A thunder bolt... t-the sparks formed a thunder bolt" I stuttered, impatiently awaiting the old man's response. But my wait was unrewarded as Irvin only grew quiet. Added with the already present silence of the Circle library, the first enchanter's quietness only added to the tenseness of the atmosphere. I grew unsettled. That was the first time I had ever seen Irvin so... concerned. That symbol must have meant something bad, if it made the old man this worried. After a while, a wary sigh escaped Irvin's lips.

"There is a lot we must discuss... prefferably in private" he stated. I only answered those words with a puzzled look. What was going on? "Come, let us go to my study"

I quickly got up from my seat and followed after the first enchanter out of the library. He lead me through the second floor in silence, but I expected no less. His pace wasn't fast, probably because he wanted time to think things through before we got to our destination. Or at least that's what it seemed like to me.

We arrived at Irvin's study and the man himself opened the door, ushering me inside.

"Please, take a seat" he advised. I complied and found a comfortable-looking armchair, red and lined with gold, on one side of the room. I sat down, letting my body sink into the soft cushions. Irvin approached and sat down in front of me, on a less comfy piece of seating furniture. I patiently awaited until he started the conversation, but it seemed the first enchanter was at a loss for words. He looked like he was struggling to figure out how to start the conversation, it showed even in his facial expression. "Have you ever wondered why you have less specialized lessons than other apprentices?"

That question caught me off guard. It was a strange thing to suddenly throw at me and I wondered the exact reason for it. When he mentioned it, I suddenly realized that I HAD been thinking about that, since last year. Normally apprentices my age start taking specialized courses to train in a certain sphere of magic, be it Primal, Spirit or others I don't care to remember. At the order of the First enchanter I was assigned to take classes in the Primal specialization, however other apprentices had four of five lesson a day, while I had two. In addition, I was also tutored privately, away from anyone else. This made me quite a target for scrutiny, fueled by jealousy or general dislike. I never thought there was a serious reason for this, never cared to really. Maybe it was partly because I knew that knowing the reason would make things worse. I was under this profound delusion that I was so useless and weak that the the First enchanter made an exception, because I couldn't learn the way others did. I was so stupid of me to believe such a thing... but those were darker times and I was very ignorant to a lot of things.

"I have" I gave a short and clear answer. "Why? Has this anything to do with what happened to me?" I couldn't control my curiosity and let that question slip.

"In part yes" Irvin exclaimed. "There is a reason why I decided to change your learning programme and no doubt you've tried to figure it out yourself"

"I've only one conclusion in regards to this... not one I'd hope to be true" I chipped in.

"You need not worry, child. It is not something negative, but that solely depends on how you look at it" the first enchanter spoke. "The reason why you don't have as many lessons is because you cannot fully develop your abilities attending them" he continued "You are not an ordinary mage, Reina, and anything we teach you will not be received like it would by another apprentice. Technically speaking, you are not able to wield the same magic we use"

At those word, my mind went completely blank. I couldn't at all process anything I was told. "unable to wield the same magic", "not and ordinary mage" all of these words were just jumbled up nonsense to me. I had anticipated answered and DID get one, but in turn received a lot more questions than I had before. Irvin must've noticed my dazed state and continued with his explanation that would surely pull me deeper into the abyss of confusion.

"There is a name for this rare breed that you represent and we call them "Commeatus Veritas" or as they are more commonly referred to as "elementalists". These mages are able to connect with the elements of nature, harnessing its pure essence to their aid" The mage lectured as I sat flabbergasted. "There have been quite many other elementalists throughout the Circle's history, many of which have been tutored in this very tower"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I had thought I was just quite magic-retarded, because I couldn't do the spells that were thought to me. However, it turned out to be I wasn't a normal mage at all. I struggled to decide whether that was good or bad.

"But what does this have to do with what happened?" I questioned.

"You see, elementalists can communicate with the elements in a way. They can read the events of the future using their connection with nature, but this requires a lot of knowledge and understanding not to mention patience. In addition, these mages only find out what they truly are, around your age, when they discover their powers as if it was their calling" Irvin spoke "And it would seem that your powers have also come to surface recently"

"But how did you know I was an elementalist in the first place?" I immediately asked.

"I have encountered and trained many elementalists in my time and so I have adapted a sort of sixth sense to them you could say" The First enchanter joked. "I know one when I see one"

I lowered my head and felt overcome with a feeling I'd never felt. I was completely lost. Maybe this meant something good? I could predict the future and that was quite useful, but I still felt bothered. Being someone different never felt that scary. I was afraid. Afraid at what others would say and... a little afraid of myself.

"I understand..." I muttered in a discouraged tone. "But what did it mean? The bolt of thunder..."

This was where Irvin's concern grew once again. If I was able to communicate with the elements and have them tell the future, that symbol must've meant something. Judging from the elder mage's reaction, I guessed that it didn't hide any positive meaning.

"Ah, yes..." He started "Well... most often a thunder bolt, formed from the product of erupted fire, symbolizes a divine message, honoring the one's chosen. This is quite fitting, concerning the circumstances" Irvin explained. I didn't understand. If that's what a thunderbolt meant, then why did he seem bothered by it a few moments ago? I then noticed Irvin wasn't finished talking. "However... a bolt of thunder can also symbolize sudden terrible events and a knowledge to prevent them. Tell me, young one, what were you thinking about when this happened?"

I looked off to the side, trying to think back to the moment of that event. There was no doubt that I was thinking a lot about...

"Myself" I answered as a chill tickled my spine. Then did that mean... I was in danger? Irvin's puzzlement only grew in response to this. But it was strange... He looked a lot less concerned than he was curious. "What does this mean?"

The First enchanter only looked at me and for a while he just seemed like he was trying to search for something in me. Finally his features softened.

"You shouldn't worry, child. I wholeheartedly believe that it was the prior meaning of the symbol that was communicated to you. Otherwise, you are absolutely safe within the walls of the towers, I assure you" Irvin comforted me, even cracking a small smile. I didn't like it. The way he had said it, made me believe he was trying to hide something. "Now, you should return back to your quarters, I believe it is almost time for your first lesson today"

I didn't bring up Irvin's questionable behavior and stood up to leave.

"Oh, I almost forgot" the old man suddenly spoke up. "I believe you are aware that young apprentices aren't permitted to use magic without supervision, Reina"

I stopped in my tracks and cursed under my breath. 'Knew he wouldn't let it go' I thought. My shoulders dropped and I turned back to look at the mage.

"6 in the evening at Gregoir's office I take it?" I asked, giving the old man the best mocking smile I could.

Irvin smiled and nodded in return. It was funny how much he and I found these circumstances humorous, but after I exited the room, my previous serious demeanor returned. I wasn't about to shake off what happened in that room. I knew for a fact something was up and the First enchanters was doing well in hiding it... for the meanwhile. I decided to do as he said and proceed to my daily lessons with Enchanter Adell. Perhaps returning to my usual routine would allow my mind to function better.

* * *

"That's right, keep the flame steady" the enchanter's voice echoed in the spatious empty room as I concentrated on a small candle in front of me. I kept the candlelight still, suspended in place, but this required utter focus. "Yes, you're doing very well, Reina" Adell encouraged. In that moment nothing but me and the candle existed. The only thing I knew was the flame and everything around me seemed hazy. I could swear I also heard voices, distant but evident.

A loud bang interrupted our session and I was thrown out of my daze with force. Turning my attention aside, I saw the large door to the room wide open and a familiar and unwanted figure standing in the doorway. Vibrant red hair, shimmering lightly under the candlelights in the room, dark eyes that were glazed with unnatural worry and no smile I had grown accustomed to seeing every day. Ko's eyes found mine, but they quickly turned to Enhanter Adell.

"Ko, what is the meaning of this?" the woman questioned "I hope you have a good reason for interrupting this private session"

"I'm sorry, Enchanter Adell, but Irvin has asked me to get Reina to him right away" Ko spoke in between breaths. It seemed he was quite tired from running, but what was so urgent as to send his carefree spirit running?

"Our lesson has not been concluded. Tell the First enchanter he will have to be patient until we finish" Adell countered, her voice led by irritation.

"Enchanter, I don't think that Gregoir and Irvin would like their patience tested. They seemed quite agitated already when I saw them" Ko shot back, concern filling his tone. At those words Enchanter Adell's posture changed completely. She looked more frightened now.

"Gregoir? A-Ah, yes, of course! By all means, then!" The middle-aged woman stuttered, gesturing me to follow Ko. I, of course, obliged and went after the male out of the training room. He lead me through the hallways in awkward silence. I guess he and I were currently in a complicated situation. I thought to apologize to him, but somewhere inside me I felt that this was an inconvenient time.

In a sudden motion, Ko grabbed my hand and pulled me inside the chapel, the templars' favorite haunt, which was conveniently empty at the time. He took a peek outside, to ensure no one was around.

"What?" I asked, bothered by the male's actions.

He looked at me and spoke, his voice just above a whisper "You're in touble". I gave Ko a curious glance, wondering just what he meant. "Look, I lied about Irvin wanting to see you, so I could tell you the news as soon as I found out"

"What news? What are you on about?"

Ko pursed his lips, staying silent for a moment, evaluating my possible reaction. I opened my mouth to usher him out of frustration, but I was interrupted before I could speak...

"You're going to be made tranquil..."

* * *

A/N

Thank you for reading the first chapter in what I hope to be a very long series. I appreciate it on a level I could not possibly describe on page.

I wanted to start writing a Dragon Age fanfiction series focusing on the misadventures of Reina and her encounters with the characters of the games: their chemistry, rivalries, friendships and all that good stuff. This was mainly because recently I've been replaying each of the DA games from Origins to Inquisition and got a massive inspiration wave.

Not only that, I also wanted to practice my writing and document my improvement... English is not my native language, so mistakes are certain to appear.

I'd also like to mention that the story will focus on the plot of the game, but with added original story arcs to spice things up a little... there will also be custom images per chapter which will be posted whenever I have time.

You're absolutely free to ask any questions you like and feedback is also very much appreciated.

I hope you enjoyed and 'till next time! d=(´▽｀)=b


End file.
